Update: Is the NGO- Led Divestment Effort Losing Support?

November 15, 2005

In the October digest, NGO Monitor reported on developments in the anti-Israel divestment campaign, including four conferences held by Sabeel in which representatives of other politicized NGOs, including KAIROS and ICAHD director Jeff Halper, also participated. These conferences generated significant opposition, particularly the Toronto conference (see "CIDA: Canadian Reactions to NGO Monitor Report" above), and led some analysts to discern a decline in the influence of these NGOs and in support for divestment. According to Besser (see below) "a Chicago conference by one of the Palestinian Christian groups that has played a major role in several divestment votes [Sabeel] failed to generate much interest, suggesting its influence may be waning."